It has been a fun and interesting two weeks at Kirby school by all accounts!
Lais, (my awesome exchange student from Brazil,) just told me... the first week, she didn't want to go to school at all. The language barrier and everything... EVERYTHING, in English, was a challenge at first. And still is, truly. But, she finished the thought by saying, now she wants to go to school!! So the terrifying culture shock and newness is beginning to adjust for her, and hopefully all of our exchange students!
Last night, I read a post on Facebook written by Alex, the student living with the Foshee family. Of course, Google translate is really awful, according to Ale and Nubia, but I still enjoy reading our exchange students posts, choppy translator English or not!
Alex wrote about his first week, the classes he was taking and so forth. And then this, about basketball. (keep in mind Google translate is not very good!)
"Roh my God basketball! The level is monstrously high! Purer, everyone knows how to play basketball, girls as well as boys! And they are machines! Really I feel so little... and I will upgrade!"
You get the idea. :-) (I hope I don't embarrass him buy sharing his post. I love it!)
Each day, I pick up my daughter from her classroom and then drive over to the gym to pick up Lais. Usually we sit down and watch practice for about fifteen minutes before we head home.
It has been SO MUCH FUN to watch!!
It is no secret that I love to watch basketball. Especially our Trojans! This year, the bar is high, just as we hope it is every year, but it's also full of newness and camaraderie as our seasoned Trojans help our exchange students learn the ropes. They laugh and kid, they try to explain different drills to the new kids, etc., they run from one end to the other doing all the things that we all did at their age.... And this year, playing ball in our gym every day, are kids from six countries!! And that's just the boys team! (Girls team update later!) We have Alex from Belgium, Julian from Italy, Cale from China, Bill from Thailand, Marco from Spain, and our boys from Kirby, Arkansas, USA!
I've only been in the gym a few days a week for about fifteen minutes usually. But from last week til now, our exchange students have improved quickly!!
I love seeing the friendships and trust forming between these guys who have never known one another, and are from such different worlds, as they help each other while overcoming not one- not two- not three- not four- not five, BUT SIX(!) language barriers, and work every day to improve!! And while I'm sure it's been quite a distraction getting everyone acclimated to Kirby basketball in the first week, Marty sure smiles big when he talks about his new team members!
Well, you can't help but smile!
It's about more than a game that we admittedly, all love. It's about seeing friendships born on a basketball court and flourish through the joy and misery that is practicing basketball in 98 degree heat every afternoon! It's about hearing your local boys cheer on and encourage guys they've only known a couple weeks who can barely understand them! It's about the click, that happens when you *finally* know which direction you are supposed to be running at which time, or when that layup finally falls through the net.
This summer and this school year has brought with it, many challenges. Kirby families are hosting 16 exchange students and I feel confident in speaking for all when I say... we are all already attached!!
This year is something different at Kirby School.
Something awesome!
GO TROJANS!!!
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| Alex |
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| Bill |
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| Cale |
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| Marco |
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| Julian |
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| Dawson |
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| Clay |
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| Joe |
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| Bo |
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| Trevor |
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| Lee |
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| Spencer |
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| Lane |
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| Carson |
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| Brady |
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| Shawn |
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| Layton |
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| Sam |
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| Joseph |
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| Logan |
